


Fake Brave Face

by TinyAngryWriter



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Arguing, Children of War, F/M, Fighting, Growing Up, I blame my best friend, Kidnapping, Kind of a slow burn, Nightmares, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Violence, children soldiers, during the show and then after, solider children, the kidnapping is minor though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-28 14:11:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12608396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyAngryWriter/pseuds/TinyAngryWriter
Summary: Toph never did know much of love. At least, not romantic love.How the youngest of the Gaang deals with love and being child soldiers during and after the war.





	1. During the War

**Author's Note:**

> I had a dream about Toph and Aang starting a relationship and as always my best friend told me to make it fanfiction. So I’ve always loved Avatar, but I haven't read the comics so I apologize if I get something wrong cause I’m just going off from the show and I’ll do my best to keep everyone in character and such. I used the Taang/Kummi theory cause I really like it and I also used something similar to ‘dustywings’ story Ya’adurnee about Koh and well, you’ll find out. Also a good story, if you like this you should read that. I made up some names but they’re not all that important.  
> There will be two chapters but I might add a third depending.

Toph never did know much of love. At least, not romantic love. With her parents as the only example of romance, she never really knew if they truly loved each other, since they were apart of an arranged marriage. There wasn’t any passion to Toph’s knowledge and it was more like her mother just agreed with Lao. Toph once asked her mom if she loved her father, Poppy hesitated and chuckled softly, saying of course she did, then went back to brushing Toph’s long hair. She wasn't necessarily lying. Toph knew her parents loved her but showed it in an unhealthy way.  
When she met the Avatar and his friends she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous at how they truly cared for eachother, even their animals. She was also envious at how free Aang was, maybe that’s why she was drawn to him, as much as she tried to deny it. She didn’t know how to deal with this new emotion, she’s never been envious of anyone. Maybe that’s why she ‘played footsie’ under the table with him at dinner and why she was so hard on him his first few days of Earthbending training. But then one night, before Sokka suggested the vacation idea, Aang told her about seeing her in the swamp again, going into more detail. And she listened. They were making progress in their friendship but then Appa was taken under Toph’s watch. He knew it wasn’t her fault, he knew that without her holding up the library they would’ve been stuck down in Wan Shi Tong’s library but he was too angry to comprehend that. It wasn’t until after the serpent's pass that he talked to her, apologizing and explaining that Appa was his oldest friend and his only connection to the Air Nomads, to his childhood. Toph also apologized, she hated doing that and she’s already said sorry to him twice since meeting him. 

It wasn’t until the party at the Earth King’s palace that Aang notice how beautiful Toph was. He then thought back to when he first saw her and beautiful she was in a different way. Since the first time he saw her he knew she was special. But she was also familiar, so familiar and he couldn’t put his finger on it. It was like a memory from when he was young. He couldn’t see the picture but it felt warm and right. He didn’t quite know what to do about thinking she was beautiful and familiar since he thought he love Katara. When he found out a Guru was waiting for him he was excited, maybe he could help clear his head and help him get perspective about how he shouldn’t worry about love right now. But then he realized how much he’d miss them, miss Toph.  
With Guru Pathik he learned about opening his chakra’s and facing his fears. He did well over the few days, then Pathik told him to think about what he loved in the world. He thought about Momo and Appa, this friends, past and current but mostly he saw Toph. So when he was told to let her go, he couldn’t possibly. When he tried again and saw that she was in trouble, trapped in a metal box he fell. He couldn’t do it and told Guru Pathik his vision. Even though Pathik warned him about not being able to open the last chakra on his own he couldn’t let go of Toph.  
Taking Appa, he found Sokka first and told him about his vision of Toph. It wasn’t long until they heard a weird metal bang on their way to Ba Sing Se. Appa flew lower and they watched something with tremendous speed power back to the Earth Kingdom Capital.  
It was Toph! Aang was so excited but then Sokka had to scare her, making her lose speed and be launched back. Landing Appa, Aang ran to the blind earthbender and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.  
“What’s your deal twinkle toes?” she asked, her face burning at the sudden display of  
affection then shoved him off.  
“I was so worried about you.”  
“Worried about me? Why?”  
Aang was suddenly a little grateful that Toph couldn’t see as his cheeks blossomed in bright pink. He rubbed the back of his head and told her that he had a vision and had to come back.  
“What was the vision?” she asked. Aang swallowed hard, looking back at Sokka who smiled at his embarrassment.  
“Um, the Earth kingdom is in trouble. Come’on,” he said hurriedly, going to jump up on Appa.  
“Aang, I know you’re lying,” she scowled. The avatar looked up at Sokka for help but he just nodded with a softer smile to encourage him.  
“Alright, the truth is, I didn’t complete my chakra training,” Toph would’ve made a comment about how he didn’t finish because he didn’t have someone to hold his hand but she could sense the seriousness of what Aang was going to tell her. She could feel his heart speed up, pounding hard like he was running. And Aang knew she could feel it because it was beating so hard that he couldn’t hear and couldn't think straight.  
“My vision was about you,” he said without realizing.  
“Me?”  
“Yes.”  
“You stopped your training because you saw me trapped in that tin can?” she pointed down the trail she made back to where she trapped Xin Fu and Master Yu.  
“Yeah,” Aang bowed his head, realizing how it sounded. To anyone else it would be sweet, but Toph wasn’t anybody else. While she could narrow down on one detail, she always had the big picture in mind. So it wasn’t really a surprise when she said, “I was fine on my own Twinkle Toes. You just jeopardized your avatar training for me. That was really stupid.”  
“How was I supposed to know that you got out on your own?!” Aang felt embarrassed and didn’t know how to express it well. He hated it when things got heated like this.  
“Because I’m the greatest earthbender in the world and you’re the avatar! You can’t always be running to my side when you think I need help!”  
“Well sorry for caring about you!”  
Before they could continue this… interesting fight, Sokka interrupted.  
“Guys, could you maybe argue about this another time?” Aang looked over at Toph with a frown before jumping up on Appa while Toph stomped her foot to make a rock pillar. They didn't get another chance to argue. 

:.:.:.

When Katara brought Aang back to them after their battle against Azula and Zuko, Toph could bearly keep back the tears in her dead eyes. In the back of her mind she was glad for her long bangs to hide them, even though everyone else was crying as well. She almost laughed at herself for how selfish she was being, worrying about if someone saw her cry while Aang was basically dead until Katara brought him back.  
She didn't want their last conversation to be a fight, she didn't want Aang to think she didn't care. She didn't want her best friend to be dead. When they captured the fire nation ship and set Aang up in the captain's room, she visited him once a day on her own, it was all she could handle.  
She usually visited after Katara did a healing session. She could only be in there for an hour otherwise she might do something stupid, like try to shake him awake or feel where he was hurt worst. But it wasn't even really the strange impulses, if she stayed too long she could feel his pain, like she was the one who was shot with lightning.

Some days Toph would just sit in the room, listening to him breathe because she needed the reminder that he was in fact alive. She needed the reminder otherwise her heart would pound uncontrollably and she couldn't breathe. Sokka was the only one to have found her in this ‘weak’ state and explained to her that she could be having a panic attack. She hated not being in control of her own body and she hated that just sitting in a room with Aang's unconscious body calmed her. Other days she would talk to him, even though he couldn't hear her. Toph would tell him stories about her childhood, like when she first met the badger moles or her grandparents. She talked about missing her parents sometimes but would quickly ridicule herself.  
“You better wake up soon twinkle toes, otherwise you're gonna wish you were fighting Azula again,” she threatened one day, knowing it was useless. Other times she would tell him that he was being lazy and that when he woke up he’d be doing bolder push up’s till it crushed his arms. Once though, when it was nearing five weeks of him being unconscious, she confessed that she wanted her best friend back. She’d deny it tooth and nail if anyone had heard that.  
Then, she felt new movement on the metal boat. Light footsteps. Aang stumbled out from below the deck and onto the boat’s surface. Just knowing he was awake made Toph breathe easier. It was short lived because then he fainted.  
When he woke up, Katara shooed them awake so she could do another healing session. While at the market Toph thought about what she wanted to say to Aang. When she thought she had it all down, he took off. While Katara talked to her dad about being angry and upset Toph was just plain angry. Well she was also worried, and sad too but she convinced herself it was all anger. How dare he take off! What did he hope to accomplish when he could barely stand?! When Sokka and Katara said they were going to find him on Appa she jumped up too. No way would she pass up the opportunity to tell him off. Of course when they found him, all of her anger had melted away and in the end was just happy to have found him. 

He started talking about his people. Only to her when Sokka and Katara were asleep. He talked about his culture and how he grew up. Toph was fascinated by it, confused but fascinated. Of course she would brush it off like she didn’t care but really she wanted to know more. She wanted to know if Aang knew his parents and if he lived with them, or if he lived with the boys of his village in one tower or if he had the freedom to chose. His life was so different than her’s, she felt that emotion again. Jealousy. Then she wondered what her live would’ve been like if she was an air nomad. Would she have known Aang, would she still have been blind, would she be able to see the vibrations in the air to see like she does with with the earth? Thinking on it, both of the youngest in the group were the least affected by the war until now. While Sokka and Katara have already developed a way to cope, some not in the healthiest of ways, Aang and Toph on the other hand already stick to their flight or fight instincts. Of course, we already know what the pair chooses to do most of the time. 

:.:.:.  
It wasn’t until Aang couldn’t sleep for three days that he had a nightmare about Toph and Koh the face stealer. That’s when he finally put two and two together. Toph was the reincarnation of Ummi. Before their allies showed up on the Day of Black Sun Aang contacted Avatar Roku to ask about Toph and Ummi.  
“Yes, it very well could be that young Toph is a reincarnation of Ummi. During my journeys one of my most trusted friends was a blind waterbender named Tolrik. And when I asked the same question to Avatar Kyoshi she told me a tragic story of one of her lovers. An airbender from the western temples, Meng, who cut her own eyes out so Koh wouldn’t steal her face, like he did with Ummi.”  
“Do you think that all our past lives knew Toph’s past lives too?”  
“I’m sure the friendship had to start somewhere,” Roku smiled before  
his transparent figure vanished.  
Aang thought, meditating for hours about if he should tell Toph about their past lives. He knew she usually disregarded spiritual things. Maybe another time, he decided upon seeing watertribe ships. 

Toph didn’t worry when they landed, she didn’t worry when she was fighting the fire nation soldiers. She only worried when Aang took off to fight the Firelord. Yes he was the Avatar and she knew he could take care of himself, for the most part, but Aang hadn’t even learned firebending yet and that worried Toph. She was so glad when he came back and didn’t find the Firelord. She felt much better going with him underground. Fighting Azula and some Dai Li agents were much better than Ozai.  
In a weird way she was glad that they were fleeing. She hated backing down but she was just glad that her friends were all ok and she could spend more time with them. She could also help Aang protect himself more. Then Zuko came and started taking everyone on field trips, except her. She felt left out sure but while Katara and Sokka were away, it gave her and Aang time to hang out and be kids, well as much as they could. Half of the time they were either training or talking. 

:.:.:.  
One night, while it was Katara’s and Zuko turn to go on a field trip, Toph woke up from a particularly bad nightmare. She didn’t get it, she use to fight for fun but now she couldn’t risk spacing out otherwise she’d feel the numbing shakes from fireballs and deafening booms and the smell of fire and blood. That was the usual nightmares and she could just roll over and go back to sleep. But lately she’s been having other dreams, worse than usual. Something so familiar but Toph knows she’s never done this, she’s never held a knife.  
“Bad dream?” she heard Aang, pressing her hand down on the floor of the air temple she felt that he was sitting on a broken pillar by her.  
“Like you can talk,” she tried to make the atmosphere something other than gloom and silence. Aang smiled but he knew it was useless. He floated down to sit next to her as she sat up.  
“Do you wanna talk about it?” he asked. She hesitated, any other time she’d shove him and say no but these nightmares felt more like memories and something more… otherworldly. If anyone could help it would be the Avatar, her best friend.  
She sighed and started slowly, “Usually… I only have nightmares about the invasion and I can go back to sleep. But lately I’ve been having really...weird ones.”  
“What are they about?” he encouraged gently.  
“In these new nightmares I’m holding a knife,” at the mention of a knife Aang instantly thought of Kyoshi’s lover Meng.  
“Then I hear this voice, talking about adding another pretty face to his collection. But then there’s just...pain and I-.” Toph couldn’t speak, her heart stopped and her lungs were filled with air but she couldn’t let it go. It was almost like she liked the burn of holding her breath.  
“I-it's just from the invasion right? Some messed up nightmare right?” she wanted it to be that and nothing more. But by the way Aang was keeping quite told her that he knew something.  
“Aang?” she turned to where he was sitting next to her.  
“I… I talked to Avatar Roku,” Toph was about to ask what that had to do with anything but the Avatar continued, “I asked him about a nightmare I had before the invasion about you.”  
“Me?”  
“I had a nightmare where your eyes were missing and a spirit called Koh, the face stealer,” Toph didn’t know why but at the mention of a face stealer she felt her spine tingle. She listened as Aang talked about his previous lives and how she was most likely the reincarnation of a previous Avatar’s lover. When Aang talked about how the lover of Avatar Kyoshi cut her own eyes out Toph felt like she was knocked out of the Earth Rumble Six ring by Aang all over again. She didn’t know that she was about to cry until the Avatar called her name. She turned her head further down and away from Aang as she forced the tears back. Toph hated that she’s already cried around him twice, three times. It was a sign of weakness and she refused to show him.  
“Toph?” he tried again.  
“So you’re telling me I’m blind because supposedly one of my lives had their face stolen and the other cut her eyes out to avoid her face being stolen too? Pft yeah okay twinkle toes,” she blew her bangs out of her face to show irritability, trying her best to seem like she didn’t believe it. But it made sense, why Aang was so familiar why the story of Meng was like a memory and exactly like her nightmare.  
She didn’t want to think about it anymore and leaned on Aang’s shoulder.

After Azula’s attack they fled to the royal beach house. At the play about Aang’s adventures, Toph was pleased to hear that she was cast as a guy, it reminded her that she was seen as strong and intimidating. But it was short lived when the day came that Aang finally had to face Ozai, alone. And of course he took off right before. Toph wanted to be mad, she knows that he runs away, but to run away before Ozai was going to attack!? She considered never forgiving him but while on the blimp, hanging by a thread that was Sokka’s arm and she just wanted to be with her friends one last time. And she got her wish, in Ba Sing Se in Iroh’s tea shop. That's all she could ask for at the moment.


	2. After the War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years ago, Aang said he needed some time to himself and no one's heard from him since.

Sooner or later everyone was going their separate ways. Toph thought about going back to her parents but she didn’t think she could face them just yet. Katara and Sokka went with their dad to rebuild the southern water tribe. Zuko personally led ships there as a way to repair the damage he did while bonding with Katara more. For four years Zuko was running back and forth between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom to try and repair four generations worth of damage. Meanwhile the Southern Water Tribe was doing better and gaining more population, mostly girls from up north who wanted to learn waterbending from their hero, Katara. For four years Toph kept busy by training others in metalbending and earthbending.  
Four years ago, Aang said he needed some time to himself and no one's heard from him since. He needed to think about some big questions, things like “what now?”, how could he rebuild his culture, what purpose did he have now and who did he love? During the war he couldn’t worry about if he was infatuated with Katara or if Toph was his past soulmate but now he could. Before he left Zuko approached him and said that he fell in love with Katara. Aang understood and told him he wasn’t going to pursue the waterbender.  
“Are you sure? I thought you loved her?”  
“Yeah, I mean I thought I did too but I need some time to myself anyway. I think the world can survive a few weeks without me,” he smiled. Those few weeks turned into four years. Now 16 he realized that while he did love Katara she coddled him, like a mother. He didn’t know that, having been raised by a village, so to speak. He thought about when she showed love it was usually like a mother, to cope from losing her own. He hoped that Zuko could challenge her in that in a good way. After realizing that, Aang talked to Roku a lot, and even Kyoshi and Kurku. If he concentrated he could talk to Yangchen as well and she told him stories of a man from the fire nation. Her friend Fao, though he couldn’t bend he was a powerful fighter and a loyal companion. who could also have been a past life of Toph’s. 

:.:.:.  
A few days before Aang decided to make himself known, he thought back to when he said good bye to Toph.  
“So, you’re running away again?” he looked up to his doorway in his temporary room and found her leaning against it, like she did when he stayed the night at her parents house. When they first met.  
“I just need some time to think about my place in the world now.”  
“Uh-huh well don’t think too much, you might hurt your pretty little head,” she said while using her pinky to clean out her ear. He smiled, glad that unlike the others she kept it casual.  
“What about you? Are you going back to your parents?”  
Usually she would’ve made a joke, but as always when it was just Aang, it was different.  
“Not yet,” she said curtly.  
“Now who’s running away?” Aang teased, earning a ripe new bruise.  
“When will you be back?” she asked.  
“Just a few weeks, why? Will you miss me?” he smirked again but this time dodged her fist.  
“No, I just need to know how long I’m gonna use Zuko and Sokka as punching bags instead of you.”  
“Well go easy on them,” he smiled. 

He wondered how mad she would be, he also wondered how much she’s grown up. First he went to the Southern Water Tribe where he found Sokka and his father and Suki. After a long hug and a good laugh Sokka led the returned Avatar to Katara who was finishing teaching her class. She turned and upon seeing Aang, grew tears of joy in her eyes and hugged him. Aang noticed that her necklace had changed from her mother’s to something different. She told him that Zuko proposed to her a year ago.  
“It’s a good thing you came back now because I’m sure Katara and Zuko were ready to go to every air temple and drag you out themselves,” Sokka said, earning a slap on his head.  
“You’ve been gone for four years, alots changed,” Aang smiled bitterly at the last time she said that, when they figured out he was frozen for 100 years.  
“The wedding’s in a few weeks and everyone's coming here,” she said.  
“Is Toph here yet?”  
Sokka and Katara exchanged a look before shaking their heads. “She’s been busy. She doesn't really talk about work a lot.”  
Aang guessed she hasn’t spoken to her parents then. Katara said that she often visits Iroh and often has him sends letters. She usually visits the south once a month.  
“Last we heard she’d be here in a few days, with Iroh and some others.”  
And so, Aang waited. He’s gotten good at that. He thought about what to say to her, he also worried if she even wanted a relationship.  
Then a ship came, just before noon in a few days. Aang went with Sokka, Suki and Katara, while others piled out. Smellerbee, Longshot, Teo, Pipsqueak and the Duke, Haru, Tyro, the Swampbenders, the other Kyoshi warriors and Ty Lee holding Mai’s hand. Zuko and Iroh came out and Katara greeted her soon-to-be husband happily with a hug and a kiss. When Zuko turned to greet Sokka and Hakoda, he found Aang. He smiled and quickly went to hug his best friend.  
“Aang? H-how, when did you get here?” the fire lord stumbled over his words.  
“A few days ago, good thing I did,” he smiled before looking over Zuko’s shoulder. The Fire Lord moved aside as the last one came out. Aang felt his heart swell and he felt like he was in a dream. There were butterflies and like he was walking on air, well literally. He floated over to Toph and caught her off guard with a hug.  
“What the hell?” she hissed before she felt an unmistakable heartbeat pressed right up against her’s, “Aang?”  
“It’s me, I’m here,” he whispered happily, he pulled back with the widest smile he’s ever worn, taking in how much Toph as grown, how much he’s grown. Of course, he thought about her reaction but all the time thinking about how mad she would be vanished when he saw her. So, he couldn't really say it was a surprise when she sent him eight feet back with a punch he knows has gotten stronger. Aang sat up in the snow and heard Zuko mumbled something like, “That was both expected and not.”  
As Toph stormed away, Aang knew that she needed time to herself now, even though it hurt being so close to her but having to stay away for the time being. The soon-to-be-married couple went to help Aang, he said he didn’t need it. Zuko and Katara gave eachother a look and waited for him to explain. “I’m good, and when Toph cools off I’ll talk to her and we’ll just… see how it goes.”  
It was after dinner when Aang knocked on Toph’s door. He didn’t see her in the main part of the house for meal time so Katara brought her dinner instead. There was a grumpy ‘what’d you want?’ on the other end, which meant that while she was still mad, she was open to at least listening now, or maybe she’d yell and punch him.  
“You’ve got two minutes,” she stated, her back was to the door so Aang couldn’t see her face. He sat down behind her and started, “I just want to say I’m sorry. I know I said I’d only be gone for a few weeks but that was too short for some of the questions I had. I had to think about who I was and what I was going to do now.”  
She grunted, condescendingly.  
“I also had to think about who I loved,” at that Toph’s sour face was snapped into shock. But she didn’t dare turn around.  
“I thought I loved Katara but she wasn’t what I needed and I wasn’t what she needed, at least not romantically. I talked to my past lives, I can only go back a full cycle, to the last avatar airbender, Yangchen. She told me that you’ve been there, for most if not all my lives. I know Koh has hurt you in the past and he still haunts you in this life, I still think about the nightmare you told me, at the western air temple. I wish I had been able to stop the pain, since the beginning.” he took a breath, by now he figured at least one minute passed.  
“I’m here now and I’m ready to be an Avatar in a time of peace,” he stated.  
“Don’t flatter yourself too much, twinkle toes,” she scoffed.  
“I know I hurt you and I’m sorry,” he bowed his head.  
“Hurt me? You give yourself too much credit.”  
“Then why are you mad at me?” he looked up. The two minutes were up, now it was her turn. She stood and turned to him.  
“Mad? I was mad four years ago when I realized you lied. I was mad four years ago when I realized you abandoned the world again, when you abandoned me.”  
“I’m sorry, I-.”  
“Was selfish,” she hissed. She wanted her words to hurt him for once. So he could try to comprehend the pain she felt.  
“While you were gone, the world was spinning just fine without you, but guess what happened to mine?” Aang could now see tears in her eyes and his heart stopped. It did hurt, not the words but seeing the pain she talked about. He knew when she was being prideful and stubborn. He knew the difference of when Toph wanted to be hurtful and when she didn’t mean it or was giving criticism, constructive or not. She started pacing.  
“My world crumbled and that’s your fault. You say you don’t want to hurt me but you did. You, of all people hurt me. It’s not fair that while you took a vacation I was training people and having to fight back my nightmares,” she wasn’t exactly yelling, but it wasn’t her talking voice either. Everything she had bottled up for four years was now bursting out like a dam. She didn’t know why, she couldn't stop it.  
“I’m not mad that you left because I get it, you wanted to look for a deeper meaning and all that shit. I’m not mad that you were even selfish about it and took your sweet fucking time. I’m mad at you for making me like this!”  
Aang blinked, watching the tears flow down her cheeks. Four times, damn him. Aang stood up and slowly walked over to her.  
“You made me weak,” she whispered she didn’t bow her head to hide the tears this time. She tracked his movement by sound until he was in front of her and looked him square in the eye. He wasn’t even surprised she could do that. “I can’t believe you made me think I could rely on someone else, especially you.”  
Slowly he placed his hand on her shoulder and carefully pulled her in for a hug. She stood frozen for a minute before her shaking arms wrapped around him tightly, against her will. Like they were trying to hold onto him again so he wouldn’t leave. Pathetic, she hissed at herself.  
“You fucking coward,” she mumbled into his shoulder. He whispered I know.  
“You’re so fucking selfish,” she growled, he whispered I know.  
When Toph was done shaking, her tears dried up and she was left with a red nose and a deep frown. Aang pulled away slightly and Toph dropped her arms.  
“The next avatar better be more reliable than you.”  
“I hope so too,” he chuckled softly.

:.:.:.  
They didn’t talk about that conversation for the next two weeks. After the wedding Katara packed up her belonging and Zuko sent them to the fire nation to be set up while they went on their honeymoon to Amber Island. While everyone else went home Aang had no where. He was going to stay with Sokka and Suki until he figured out which place needed him most. That is, until Toph came up and said, “Stop trying to squeeze out a few more days of vacation. Come on.”  
He got up and followed her, he didn’t need to ask where he was going. They said goodbye to Sokka and Suki then climbed onto Appa. Who, now nudges Toph happily when he sees her, and Momo takes every opportunity to perch himself on her shoulder. As they flew to Toph’s current residence he asked, “Did you talk to your parents yet?”  
Toph was quiet for a moment before admitting no. He offered to take her there now but she punched him and said that he was an idiot.  
Entering Toph’s small apartment he found that it was very minimal. He guessed that she stayed out most days and really only slept here. She finally mentioned that instead of teaching others she enlisted as a police officer. Aang found it ironic but in a weird way, oddly fitting.  
For the first few weeks of Aang staying with her, Toph slept fine. She had a few nightmares about the war, being captured and such. It was normal, she was use to it, she could deal with it. But then, after four weeks of being around Aang, that one nightmare came back. The memory of Meng and Koh. She flung herself upright in her bed and fell to the floor, crying out. Aang quickly burst in and found his best friend on the floor. Her hands were over her eyes and she was curled up in a tight ball.  
“Toph, Toph it’s ok. I’m right here. It’s just a nightmare.”  
“Get off me! Get out!” Toph struggled in Aang's soft grip.  
“Toph it's me, it's Aang. You're alright.” At that Toph froze. Aang, Kyoshi, Kuruk, Koh, Meng. Is she was in fact a reincarnation of Meng, Toph swore she hated that past self and thought of her as an idiot, a strangely brave idiot.  
Aang led her to the kitchen. She didn't have much food in the ways of cooking but she had snacks and leftovers. There was also a nice simple but elegant set of tea mugs with a matching tea pot that Iroh gave her, along with multiple types of tea.  
Aang made tea as Toph sat at the small table, her hands were clutching the other so tightly her knuckles were white. When the tea was done, Aang cooled it down some, so that Toph wouldn't burn her hand while holding the cup. He sat down with his own mug across from her. He could see out the window that the sun hasn't even lifted its head up.  
“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked softly. Her face stayed stoic, like stone. If he didn't know her better she’d be unreadable. He also thought that in a strange way she’d be the perfect match against Koh with that face.  
“Do you want me to leave?” Toph thought about it. It sort of was like this nightmare...this memory only came around when Aang was with her. But she shook her head no. She wouldn't be scared by a past memory.  
“Was it Koh?” He whispered even softer, like just saying his name would make the spirit appear. She slowly nodded. Aang carefully reached his hand over to Toph’s. For the time being, until the sun rose, they stayed like that. 

:.:.:.

“You still haven't told her?” Zuko repeated. He was visiting the Earth kingdom city and decided to visit Aang, who had been dodging Zuko’s questions in letters about telling Toph. Katara told her husband the same thing, about Aang avoiding the topic of confession, so Zuko was determined to find out. While on this business trip, Katara went to the Southern Water tribe for a few days.  
“Not exactly.”  
“You know hinting isn't going to work with Toph. You have to be direct.”  
“I know I know I know,” Aang shook his head. He maybe be 16 now but sometimes he still acted like his 12 year old self. It made Zuko smile before saying, “You should talk to her.”  
“I’ve thought about what to say to her 1000 times, but I know that no matter what she’ll say something I haven't thought of.”  
“If she has been reincarnated with you multiple times, then maybe you have already thought of it.”  
Aang was doubtful. Toph always managed to surprise him. 

When Zuko left the next night, Aang decided that when Toph came home from work he would tell her. Or, so he thought. He stayed up basically all night until sunrise. Finally he went to the police station and asked the chief.  
“She didn’t tell you?” he asked and Aang, being polite just shook his head no, “SHe’s been on a stakeout for about… six days.”  
“When will she be back?”  
“She said she’d be back yesterday.”  
“And you’re not worried?!” The chief flinched before saying, “Avatar Aang, you of all people know how strong Beifong is. Some stakeouts take up to a month, sometimes longer.” He seemed tense.  
“I can’t wait a month! What if she’s in trouble?” Aang felt a sickening feeling in his stomach, like right before something bad happened like... pretty much every time.  
“If she was in any danger she would’ve radioed. We try to have someone within range. You’re welcome to wait here for her anytime you want. Other than that there’s not much you can do,” the chief sighed.  
“So you can’t tell me where she is or anything?”  
“Well, officially no... I can’t tell you that she about 20 minutes southwest outside the city. And there’s no way I can tell you that she’s suppose to be by the Wu Hao river and I definitely can’t mention that she’s across an abandoned mine building. Even off record,” the head of police said with a small smile. Aang smiled and bowed his head as a sign of thanks before taking off.  
Since it was a stakeout, Aang knew that he couldn’t bring Appa or Momo. With his glider, he took off, southwest following the Wu Hao river he found the abandoned mine. He landed across from it, on the other side of the river like the chief said. After looking in the forest Aang did find signs that Toph did camp out here. But he couldn’t find her. 

There came that sickening feeling again. Like someone was pulling his stomach through the ground. There was a sudden crash, coming from the building, he hoped his hunch wasn’t right as he glided over across the river. Carefully he peaked his head in a window and looked around the old building. The first floor was barren, nothing but a broken chair and dust. There were more loud thuds and yelling upstairs. The Avatar climbed up to the second floor and found at least 30 men in a tight circle, jeering and roaring at something in the middle. Someone, Toph. Aang had never seen his best friend, his love, his soul mate in such a terrible state. He jumped through the window, barreling through the group to Toph’s side.  
Her right arm was limp at her side, she was bloody and bruised. Her right eye was swollen shut, her nose was bleeding like a faucet and was probably broken, she was leaning heavily on her left leg which meant that something was injured in her right leg. The old mine house was all wooden and all she had for weapons were her metal cables. It was smart of them to keep her on the top floor so she wasn’t connected to the ground. But that wasn’t all, when Aang first peeked in he noticed how she barely moved from one spot, she was protecting something. When the Avatar came to her side he noticed a little girl, hiding behind Toph with tears in her red rimmed eyes.  
“Toph, I’m here,” he started, pointing his staff at anyone who dared to come closer.  
“Aang? What’er you doing here?” she hissed, mostly out of pain but also because he had to see her in this weak state.  
“Helping you!” he said over the gust of wind he made to push back a few guys.  
“Get out of here and take the girl!” she ordered.  
“But-”  
“GO!” Toph roared and the girl went to Aang’s side, reluctantly he carried the child out while fighting off a few men. Now that Toph didn’t have to play defense, she smirked with ease and became a whirlwind of her metal cables, she even used her police uniform which she made all metal, stripping it down to use as handcuffs for the criminals. They were laughing at her a minute ago but now that she’s unleashed they regretted backing her into a corner. When Toph was done she used the last of her cable to carve out a whole in the front of the house and kick the group of thugs out. She came down a second later holding her arm. The little girl who Aang found out was called Kota and is the only daughter of the chief of police, ran to Toph and hugged her right leg tightly, making the blind bender wince in pain.  
“How did you find me Aang?” Toph asked as Kota clung to her limp arm.  
“The chief of police told me where you’d be. What happened?”  
Toph sighed, letting her shoulders sag before beginning. She said that Patao, the head of police, assigned her to this mission a week ago. It was supposed to be a simple recon mission to find out where this gang was hiding. But then things got complicated when they kidnapped Kota. Patao couldn’t get involved since it was his daughter and personal relationship’s would interfere. Toph had been waiting five days for Kota to show up at their hideout. They took so long because half of the police were hot on their trail and they were back tracking and going odd ways to try to lose them. Toph was the last resort. But even she didn’t account for how many would show up to hold Kota hostage. Toph had to play defense because Kota couldn’t defend herself and the blind earthbender was worried that she’d get in the way without Toph being able to see properly through the wooden floors.  
“Why didn’t you radio for backup?” Aang asked.  
“Radio can’t reach out here, the limit is five miles and the guy checking the radio for me missed the time to call. Besides I had it handled,” she said. Aang would’ve argued but then Toph started to sway. Aang quickly caught her before she could fall forward.  
“I’m fine, get off,” she growled, pushing him away.  
“Toph, you’re bleeding,” Aang felt sick. Without her armour Toph must’ve gotten stabbed, there was huge gash in her back side and it ran all down her left hip and leg, staining her dark tunic. Kota cried out as tears sprung to life in her round brown eyes. She would’ve noticed if she had hugged Toph’s other side.  
“Well fuck,” Toph whispered before she swayed and fell in Aang’s arms, passing out. Aang quickly unwrapped his orange scarf around his waist and tied it around Toph’s side. Aang looked over at Kota, seeing her apologizing with her face in her hands broke his heart. This poor kid, she’s only 3 and thinks it’s her fault. Aang kept Toph on her front so the blood would stay down somewhat. He knelt in front of Kota and smile softly.  
“Kota, this is not your fault, ok? Toph is going to be just fine and you’ll see your daddy soon, right?”  
“Papa?” Kota looked up slowly. Aang’s heart lurched, he wondered what he missed out on, not being raised by his parents sometimes, instead of being raised by monks.  
“Yes, you’ll see him very soon and then go home. But you have to do something for me Kota.” She swallowed and waited for him to continue.  
“I need you to be strong, can you do that for me?”  
She nodded as he said that he’ll carry Toph if she could carry his staff. She nodded, smiling somewhat, trying to put on a brave face. He smiled and pulled her in for a hug which she gladly accepted. While Aang carried Toph on his back, Kota walked in front of him, trying not to drag his staff. It took about four hours since Kota could only walk so much, all the while Aang told her how brave and strong she was being. When he wasn't praising and comforting her he was telling stories. Mostly stories about Toph.  
Finally, upon entering the city a cop saw them and quickly called for an ambulance and for the chief of police. They were rushed the the closed hospital. The healers and doctors told Aang that she lost a lot of blood but nothing critical. Her nose was broken, shoulder was dislocated, multiple cuts and bruises and her shin was broken but would be fine in eight weeks. She didn’t need surgery but she had nine stitches in her gash on her back. She was asleep now so Aang could visit her. Kota went with him since her dad was on his way. Kota fell asleep in his lap while Aang watched Toph sleep. Patao came within ten minutes and it was a beautiful reunion. They talked in the hall so they wouldn’t disturb Toph.  
Patao held his daughter and thanked the Avatar in tears. When the pair left, Aang went back to Toph side. He fell asleep by her side but was woken up at three in the morning to sudden clanging then a thud. Aang woke up groggily, his heart flaring up in alarm when he saw that Toph wasn’t in her hospital bed. He stood up quickly and found that Toph knocked over some medical stand that was giving her water, nutrients and blood. She was still on the floor.  
“Toph?”  
She looked up, fear all over her face.  
“Toph what’s wrong?”  
“W-Where are we?” she asked, her voice raspy.  
“Were in a hospital Toph.”  
“What’s in my arm!?” she yelled. Aang was about to explain until the door flew open with a doctor at the other end. Aang showed his palm to the healer, telling him silently to let him handle this.  
“Toph it’s alright, it’s to help you give more blood,” Aang said moving to be closer.  
“M-More blood?”  
“You lost a lot yesterday, remember?”  
“Y-yeah, yeah… Kota!”  
“She’s fine, she’s with her dad.”  
“A-And Katara and Sokka?” Aang pressed his eyebrows together in confusion.  
“Sokka’s home with Suki and Katara’s in the fire nation.”  
“What!? Then we have to get her!” Toph moved to stand up but Aang gently placed his hand on her shoulders to keep her grounded.  
“Wha- Toph no, she married Zuko. Remember?”  
“Z-Zuko,” she repeated.  
“Yes, Toph the war is over.”  
“It’s over… the wars over. B-but if it’s over you should be gone.”  
“I came back Toph, I came back for you. And I’m not leaving again.”  
What happened next Aang of course didn’t predict. Toph leaned into Aang and brushed her lips against his before finding the perfect spot and pressed them together. Aang didn’t know what to do, he was shocked, and further still he heard her mutter sorry before climbing back into bed.  
“Toph, do you know where you are?” he asked, standing up. She was laying on her side, her back turned to him.  
“Yes twinkle toes I remember everything now, ok? So don’t go freaking out about that kiss.”  
“Why’d you do it then?”  
“Shut up I’m trying to sleep.”  
“Now who’s trying to dodge things,” he mumbled. Toph huffed and sat up.  
“Fine, I wanted to, happy now?”  
“That's all?” Aang tilted his head and Toph scowled. He sat down on the edge of her bed and slowly took her hand in his, it was trembling.  
“I know you think that showing some emotions is a sign of weakness Toph but it’s not.”  
She didn’t respond so he continued, “You can be sad and cry and love people Toph. just because you show emotions other than anger or happiness doesn’t mean you're weak.”  
“Who said anything about love?” she scoffed.  
“I know that me leaving hurt you, and I know you’ll say ‘don’t flatter yourself’ but if you let me, I’ll never leave your side again.”  
“... Well I hope you won’t be following me into the bathroom or something, I mean I do need my space-”  
“I’m serious Toph,” he cut over her, “I love you.”  
There was a long silence, so long in fact Aang thought about leaving but he scolded himself because that’d be hypocritical. He was stayed but started to fidget.  
“I-...” she tried, but for once she was at a loss for words.  
“You don’t have to say it back, you can even kick me out and I’ll never bring it up again but… I just wanted to tell you.”  
“Well it’s about time,” she finally said.  
“What? You knew?”  
“It wasn’t hard to catch on twinkle toes. After Zuko’s and Katara’s wedding and all that talk about who you love,” she smiled slightly. Another silence passed but this time it wasn’t so heavy.  
“So, what does this mean?” he finally whispered.  
“Guess it means that I’ll need a bigger bed,” she smiled. Aang smiled back and leaned in slowly, kissing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such awkward teens. Well, it wasn't exactly like my dream haha. Anyway if you guys really want I could add on another chapters with them being all domestic and growing up more and maybe having kids.  
> Anyway, thanks for reading my sorry excuses for a story.  
> Please leave comments, I appreciate them!


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